There are several structures that can cause pain around the hip. One of the most common is known as the trochanteric bursa. The trochanteric bursa is a pulley that protects some of the large buttock muscles from rubbing against the thigh bone. The bursa is colored orange in the illustration. When the bursa becomes inflamed pain on the side of the hip is experienced. This pain can respond quickly to a combination of a steroid injection and physical therapy.

Many physicians perform this procedure without using X-ray. When this is done there is a high chance of the steroid ending up in the wrong place; this obviously reduces the effectiveness of the procedure. D. Harries always performs this procedure using X-ray.

The procedure itself is simple, has a low risk of complications and is over very quickly.